The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology says work is ongoing on more than 550 new telecommunication sites across the country.

Enayatullah Alkozai, spokesperson for the ministry, stated that of this total, 54 telecommunication sites in 14 provinces have already been inaugurated.

"The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has planned over 550 telecommunication sites through the 10th TDF (Telecom Development Fund) project to cover underserved areas of the country, and this project is currently under implementation.

So far, 54 telecommunication sites have been inaugurated in the provinces of Kabul, Badakhshan, Uruzgan, Zabul, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nuristan, Maidan Wardak, Paktia, Paktika, Badghis, Helmand, Ghazni, and Kunar, in addition to the Ghazni-Zabul and Nangarhar-Kunar highways,” he said.

Some citizens see the increase in telecommunication sites as beneficial in solving problems faced by people in remote areas.

"Establishing telecommunication sites in remote areas of Afghanistan can provide many facilities for the people and better solve their problems,” said Ahmad Ali, a resident of Kabul.

"In Kandahar province, telecommunications services are good in nearby districts, but in remote areas such as Khakrez and Registan, services are weak or nonexistent in some places,“ said Ehsanullah, another resident of Kabul.

Previously, the Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) announced that 8,000 telecommunication sites are active across the country and the process of installing new sites in remote areas is ongoing.